Traditional Chinese 香港大學 IPA [hœ̂ːŋkɔ̌ːŋ tàːihɔ̀ːk] Opened 28 December 2014 | Simplified Chinese 香港大学 Address Lung Fu Shan, Hong Kong Level 1 | |
 | ||
Yale Romanization hoeng1 gong2 daai6 hok6 Jyutping hoeng1 gong2 daai6 hok6 Location The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Shek Tong Tsui
Central and Western District, Hong Kong Similar Kennedy Town Station, Sai Ying Pun Station, Sheung Wan Station, Quarry Bay Station, Shek Kip Mei Station | ||
HKU (Chinese: 香港大學) is a station on the Hong Kong MTR Island Line located in the Shek Tong Tsui neighbourhood of the Western District, Hong Kong. It is named after The University of Hong Kong, which is also served by the station.
Contents
Part of the West Island Line, a westward extension to the existing Island Line, HKU Station opened on 28 December 2014 along with Kennedy Town Station.
As of its opening, HKU Station is the largest and deepest station in the MTR network, at 70 metres (230 ft) below ground.
History
Before the 1980s, the HKU station was planned to be built underground at Des Voeux Road West, near Ka On Street, Whitty Street and Hill Road. Lots at Chong Yip Centre and Pacific Plaza were reserved for future station exits and concourse.
The MTR Corporation let out a tender for the construction of the Sai Ying Pun and HKU stations and 2.2 km of tunnel. In 2009, the design and architecture was awarded to Aedas in joint verture with AECOM. The construction work was awarded to Gammon Construction, (half owned by Balfour Beatty) for 4.7 billion HK dollars. Construction commenced in 2010 and was completed in 2014.
Naming
There were disputes among locals and district councillors over the station's name. Some suggested to restore the previous official name "Belcher" (寶翠, [pǒutsʰɵ̄y], bou2 ceoi3) after The Belcher's, a housing development in the area, as well as Belcher Street and Belcher Bay. Some believed that the MTR Corporation's decision to change the name to "University" was not well consulted within the community, while others worried that it might cause confusion with another existing University Station on the East Rail Line. Some also suggested "Shek Tong Tsui", after the area the station would serve.
In August 2009, MTR named the station "Hong Kong University". The latest revision changed the English name to "HKU", the abbreviation of The University of Hong Kong nearby.
Station layout
The station is located under Pok Fu Lam Road. It has two tracks and one center island platform. In addition, the MTR has built elevators to link HKU Station to the University of Hong Kong. The HKU station is located at a depth of 70 metres (230 ft), making it the deepest station in the MTR system upon its opening.
HKU Station features designated refuge areas, to which passengers can be evacuated in case of emergency. Refuge areas are pressurised and equipped with fire systems including sprinklers and fire curtains, and independent power supply units. The HKU station is the first station in the MTR network to apply such shelter design and the use of lifts to reach safety.
Exits
HKU Station has a total of six exits. As exits A1, A2 and C1 are situated deep underneath the Mid-Levels, only express elevators are used to transport passengers. This makes HKU Station the first to feature lift-only exits.
Exits A1 and A2 are served by a total of eight lifts with a maximum load of 1,800 kg per lift. Exit C1 is served by four lifts with a capacity of 2,100 kg each.
Future
HKU Station is proposed to be an interchange station for the Island Line and the South Island Line (West). The platforms of the South Island Line (West) will be built under those of the Island Line.